Conventionally, a vehicle communication apparatus that has a wireless communication function is provided. In one of this type of the vehicle communication apparatus, when a vehicle power source is in on state, a service, such as an emergency call, a destination setting by data communication, or a voice communication is executed, and when the vehicle power source is in off state, a service, such as a vehicle tracking for theft, a remote engine start, or a remote door lock and unlock is executed. This type of the vehicle communication apparatus employs a wireless technique similar to a mobile phone, such as a smartphone, and executes complicated software. Thus, it is concerned that software operation becomes unstable after a long period of use.
Another apparatus that executes complicated software may include a navigation device. The navigation device generally executes the software only in on state of the vehicle power source. In the navigation device, when a user switches IG (ignition) and ACC (accessory) from on state to off state and gets off a vehicle, the vehicle power source switches to off state, and when the user switches IG and ACC from off state to on state and gets on the vehicle, the vehicle power source switches to on state so that the software operation is reset (that is, initialized). With this configuration, the software operation can be stabilized at a time of switching from off state to on state of the vehicle power source. On the other hand, the above described vehicle communication apparatus executes the software both on state and off state of the vehicle power source. Thus, the vehicle communication apparatus is incapable of resetting the software operation at the time that the vehicle power source is switched to on state or off state, which is different from the navigation device, so the software is incapable of being stabilized.
The software operation to be stabilized is disclosed in Patent Literature 1. In Patent Literature 1, monitor software that only monitors the software operation is integrated. With this configuration, when the monitor software detects abnormality of the software operation, the software operation is reset (see, e.g., Patent literature 1).